Until death do us part
by Mutinous Pirate
Summary: POSSIBLY DISCONTINUED. HIATUS FOR NOW.


Disclaimer: Own nothing at all.

"I'm telling you, it's the last time. I won't make the same mistake again." Nikki said firmly.

"_But Nikki! You and Jonesy are perfect together!" _Caitlin wailed on the other side of the call.

"Perfect? Perfect? Cait, if we were perfect together, it would stay that way! We're clearly better off not together." Nikki snapped at her innocent friend.

"_I have to agree with Nikki. I guess it would be nice to have them together but Jonesy has been a cheating jerk one too many times to take him back...again." _Wyatt said from yet another line.

"Thank you, Wyatt." Nikki said with a sigh.

"_Nikki, all I can say is that; as long as your happy, nothing else matters. I know the break up must hurt but we all know it's best for you. It just pains us to see the inseparable Joneki...well, separate." _Jen said from the other line. She sighed.

"I'm gonna go. I need to vent some serious anger. I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'll be late though." Nikki said. She snapped her phone closed before anyone had a chance to say anything.

Nikki got up from her messy bed and lazily walked to the basement. She switched on the lights and walked straight to her dad's old punching bag. She tied her purple hair into a sloppy bun and put on some gloves her dad used when he used to train.

"Jonesy's face with that stupid grin of his." She said angrily.

She sent a right jab to the punching bag. Dust flew off of it everywhere. Nikki gave it a left jab. Right,left,right,left-right, kick. Right, right, right, left, kick. Every time she struck the bag, she saw Jonesy's face, his grin fading away with her anger.

Nikki had found the punching bag about a year ago. Her father taught her the basics in kick boxing over the summer just for fun and to have something to do. Turned out, Nikki was very good at it; very strong and not to mention fast. She used the exercise as a therapy when she was feeling down in the quicksand.

"Idiot!" She shouted between gritted teeth as she punched the bag. To her inconvenience, she punched the bag incorrectly and it hurt her wrist. Nikki wrapped her left hand around her right wrist and gripped it tightly. Slowly, she moved it in small circles until it cracked. The pain changed to a pulsing sensation.

"Damn it!" She shouted again. She sent a roundhouse kick into the side of the bag and it swung slightly after the strong blow. "Everything is his fault. Why is he such a freaking jerk? God!"

As she kept punching and kicking the bag, Nikki ranted on and on about her ex being an ass. Hours passed and Nikki was beginning to feel lightheaded.

"Ugh, that's much better. I think I'm good for the day." Nikki said between pants.

Nikki headed out of the basement and on the way she grabbed a towel and draped it over her glistening shoulders.

"I need a shower." Nikki said as she headed up to her room. She was stopped by a voice calling for her.

"Are you alright honey? Is there something you want to talk about?" Nikki's mom asked. She looked at her daughter with worried eyes.

"I broke up with Jonesy yesterday." She said darkly. "Yeah, nice talk mom, thanks." She said as she marched up the stairs.

Nikki tossed the sweat-drenched towel into a corner and headed for her well deserved shower. When she finished drying her hair, she wrapped the towel around herself and entered her room.

"You know what Nikki? I think it's time for you to change. You've been using the same clothes forever." Nikki said with an evil smirk.

Nikki went to her closet and actually searched for something to wear.

"This might be harder than I thought." Nikki mumbled as she headed for her radio. She turned it on and her music blasted through. Something that wasn't her favorite band.

"Walk." She said as she realized the song that boomed out of her radio. "I haven't heard Foo Fighters in a while."

Nikki walked to her closet again and sighed. She searched over clothes for well over 10 minutes until she sighed and decided to wear something simple. She plucked out a pair of black, ripped skinny jeans and a long sleeved shirt with the words 'Stop staring' written sloppily in white over the overall black shirt. She pulled out some old new high-tops and pulled them on, not bothering to tie them.

"Sure whatever that works." She said to herself. She walked to her dresser and sighed. "What to do?"

Nikki put on her liner but skipped the purple shadow.

"Nikki?" Her mother called from behind her door.

"Come in, mom."

Her mom entered her room hesitantly and had a bright smile on her face.

"Oh Nikki! You look so pretty!" She gushed.

"Thanks mom. I think there's still something missing or something...I don't know...the same." Nikki said as she looked herself in the mirror.

"Well, maybe it's time you changed you hair. It has gotten longer. It reaches the middle of your back, I'm sure you can do something with it." She suggested as she untangled her daughters wet hair.

"My hair?" Nikki voiced.

Nikki thought about it for a few seconds. She did want to change.

"What in the world is wrong with me? I never wanted to change. And I sure wouldn't wear _this._" Nikki said in disgust.

"Well, maybe your breakup made you feel the need to change. To start fresh again. New look, new boyfriend, new attitude..." She said suggestively.

Nikki cut her off at 'attitude'. "Nice try mom. Your probably right but my attitude isn't going to change."

The woman sighed. "If you want, I can lend you some money so you can go fix you hair."

Nikki thought about it for a minute. "Alright, sure." She said as if she'd regret it later.

"Don't forget to take your bag. Your staying over at Cait's today, remember?" Her mom warned.

"Oh. Yeah, thanks mom." She said as she went to get her worn out backpack and rushed back down.

Nikki grabbed the money that her mom lent her and walked out to the nearest salon.

"Morning! What can I do for you?" A short, chubby woman asked cheerfully.

Nikki flinched at her squeaky voice.

"What do you suggest?" Nikki asked in a bored tone.

"Hm." The woman hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe you should change the color and get a new style." She said suggestively.

"What color?" Nikki asked the same as she had before. Nikki couldn't get the thought of Jonesy wanted her back, out of her head. The new old Nikki. He could keep trying until he died for all she cared. Nikki wasn't taking him back, she was sure of it.

"That's up to you, hun." She said as she led Nikki to an empty chair.

"Don't call me hun. I think I want it black." Nikki said.

"You have to be sure. You can't stop half way." The woman warned.

Nikki bit her lip and furrowed her brows thoughtfully. What was she doing here? What kind of a nightmare is this? Nikki? Changing her hair?

"Black with purple high-lights. Side bangs. 'V' cut at the bottom. Choppy all over." Nikki said in a firm rush.

"Alright. Sit back and relax." The woman said as she began her work on the rebel's hair.

Nikki shut her eyes and let her mind drift to the thoughts of Jonesy and how she felt completely insane for changing her image. Why had she stayed the same? Was it because it was the way Jonesy and everyone else knew her? Because she was worried that if she changed, everything would be different?

A good long hour dragged itself along the clock until the woman finished burning her skull with the blower and hair iron.

"There we go. You look magnificent!" The woman said as she cleaned Nikki off.

Nikki hopped off the chair, paid her money and exited the salon without a word. She walked straight home and ignored her mother's gushing and simply dragged herself upstairs, into her room.

Nikki walked to the mirror and her eyes widened in shock. She could barely recognize herself. If it weren't for her many piercings, she would be asking who it was before her. Her hair looked awesome.

"Wow." Nikki said to her reflection. "You look...good." She said surprised.

Nikki's phone rand in her back pocket. The song 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls told her it was Caitlin and with a sigh, Nikki picked it up.

"What?" Nikki asked, already annoyed.

"_I know you said you'd be late but it's been two hours and you not here yet! What happened?"_ Caitlin asked.

"Relax, I'm on my way now. I'll be there in a few minutes." Nikki snapped the phone shut before she had a chance to complain.

Nikki walked down and headed to the door.

"Nikki, it's Saturday. Where are you going? They didn't call you in for work did they?" Her mom asked from the living room.

"No. I'm just meeting the guys there. I always do." Nikki said simply.

"Oh. Alright. It's just that I thought, since you broke up yesterday..." She said.

"I'll be fine. See you later and thanks for the money." Nikki said as she shut the door behind her.

Nikki walked to the mall, taking her time to think. Caitlin would certainly flip, Jen would freak, Wyatt would react like a normal person and Jude...well Jude was unpredictable. Jonesy, Jonesy will suffer.

Nikki reached their usual table and stood just behind her chair. Everyone looked at her confused and then realization dawned on them, hard.

"Nikki?" Jonesy shouted. He literally almost fell out of his seat. "What happened to you?" He asked.

Nikki ignored him completely and looked at Jen. "Jen, would you mind?"

"Sure thing, Nik." Jen said as she got up and traded her seat with Nikki.

Nikki sat between Jude and Wyatt and braced herself for the explosion that was going to be the end of her.

"Nikki! What happened? You look totally hot! I love your hair!" Caitlin wailed as she fiddled with Nikki's hair.

Nikki shrugged. "Just a little change. No big deal."

"No big deal? Nik, your hair isn't purple. That _is_ a big deal." Wyatt said casually.

"He's right, brah. It's a deal." Jude said in his 'amused' tone.

Nikki shrugged.

"Nik, you look great." Jen said. "I gotta go to work now. I'll see you later."

"Wait. It's Saturday, Jen. No work." Nikki said confused.

"Yeah but I missed work when I was sick, remember? I have to make up for lost time." Jen said as she walked away. That's when Nikki had noticed her uniform.

"That sucks." Nikki said randomly.

Caitlin's phone rang.

"Hello." She answered.

"REALLY? I'll be over in a few minutes! Bye!" Caitlin said excitedly as she got up from her seat.

"What was that all about?" Jonesy asked.

"My daddy just told me we're staying at a hotel for the entire weekend! I have to go pack RIGHT NOW!" She said just before running off. She stopped abruptly and turned back to Nikki with worried eyes. "Oh, Nikki! Our sleepover!" She whined.

Nikki waved it off lazily. "Don't worry about it, Cait. Some other time. Have fun, where ever you go and whatever."

Caitlin squeaked excitedly and dashed off.

"Guys, I'm sorry but I have to bail too. I promised my grandmother I'd play at her church for her birthday." Wyatt said sheepishly.

Jonesy laughed out mockingly.

"Not you too, Wyatt! You can't leave me here like this! You know I won't be able to survive." Nikki shouted. She whispered the last part to Wyatt alone.

"I'm sorry, Nik but I promised my grandmother. I can't ditch, especially not on her birthday. I'll call you." Wyatt said as he walked away.

Nikki slumped into her chair and groaned.

"Well that was totally unexpected. Now what, dude and dudette?" Jude asked innocently.

"I don't know about you two but I'm off to find me a date to watch 'The Haunted Pray 3-D'" Jonesy said in his bragging tone. (That's not a real movie. Totally made up.)

Nikki glared at him. He was trying to make her jealous. He knew she loved that movie. They had made plans to watch it together before the infamous split.

"Get out of here before I frame you of rape." Nikki threatened angrily.

Jonesy didn't doubt that she would. He smirked and walked off proudly. There was a thick, awkward, tense silence at the table.

"Can you really do that, brah?" Jude asked, breaking her mid-evil thoughts away.

"Do what?"

"Frame him of rape."

"Yeah. I just break my clothes a little, use a little ketchup for blood around my inner thighs and act really well." She said casually.

"Awwweessooome, brah." Jude said with his crooked grin. "Now what, brah? We've been abandoned by our friends."

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do. We're going to watch that movie. It's my favorite and I am not going to miss it because Jonesy is going to be there, like he thinks will happen. We'll just hide out on the opposite side. He's bound to get kicked out anyway." Nikki said.

"Sounds cool, brah but I'm not really horror movie material. I might scream throughout the whole movie and get us kicked out." Jude said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's ok. I'm terrified of those movies too but that's why I love them. You won't be the only one screaming." Nikki said as they walked to the movie theater of the Galleria Mall.

"You get in line and buy the tickets. I'll go get the snacks. Anything you want?" Nikki asked Jude as he got in line.

"Nah, surprise me, brah."

Nikki walked to the food stand and started to order her favorite.

"Medium popcorn, two large sodas, Munch bar, nachos with extra cheese, sugar coated gummy worms, two hotdogs with those little chips and two barf bags." She said without even glancing at the menu twice. She was sure Jude ate a lot in movies.

The cashier taking her order looked at her strangly.

"It's for me and a friend, now get to it toad." She snapped.

The man ignored her insult and started gathering her snacks.

"Hey, brah." Jude said from behind her.

Nikki jumped a little. "Oh. Jude. You bought the tickets already?" Nikki asked surprised.

"Yeah. It's not hard to skip in line for me." He said with a shrug.

Nikki chuckled. "Well good because I need you to help me carry the snacks."

As if on cue, the cashier started serving their snacks.

"A hot dog is yours and so is the popcorn. The nachos are mine. We'll share the candy. Don't forget the barf bags." Nikki said as she grabbed her snacks.

"Barf bags?" Jude asked nervously as he picked the rest up.

"Yeah. The movie makes your stomach go weak sometimes. The first time I watched it, I puked all over the couple in front of me." Nikki said as they walked into the theater.

They found their room and walked into the dimly lit space once they were given their 3D glasses.

"Where do you want to sit, brah?" Jude asked as he struggled to keep the snacks in his hold.

Nikki scanned the room and spotted Jonesy with a tanned brunette sitting on the left side up in the corner.

"Jonesy is over there so we're going to the right side, staying up front. Good, because I love it up front. Everything seems three times more real." Nikki said as she walked over to two empty spaces in a corner. "I call the wall corner!"

They sat down and placed all the snacks into a comfortable space. The cups in the cup holders, nachos and popcorn resting on their respective laps, and Jude held the candy. The previews had just started.

"You look hot today, brah. I like it." Jude said to her casually. He was always so careless and mellow.

"Thanks Jude." Nikki said back awkwardly. "Hey, where's your skateboard?" She asked.

"Brah, it broke in half yesterday on my way home. Dad is gonna buy me a new one soon. It's gonna be killer. My new best friend. I'll miss the little guy though." Jude said sadly.

"Aw. Jude I'm so sorry." Nikki said genuinely sad for her skater friend.

"Nah, it's fine, brah. It's like losing a goldfish. After the funeral, you go buy a new one and name it Junior right after the first." He said.

Nikki laughed her goofy laugh. "Right. A goldfish. It's like losing a goldfish." She chuckled. "I can't wait to meet Junior, then."

"Me either. I'm gonna train him just as hard. Me and the little guy had great times together. I'll never forget him." He said over dramatically. "Mostly because my dog keeps digging him up." He said switching to a 'matter of fact' tone.

Nikki laughed again. She couldn't stop laughing. No matter how simple and ridiculous it was, it was funny the way it left his mouth. It was hilarious. Jude laughed with her. Nikki's tears spilled out and she gasped for air but she couldn't stop laughing. That is until some idiot hushed them with a courtesy kick to their chairs.

"Jackass." Nikki mumbled under her breath just before the movie started.

The movie was going great. It was full of suspense and a deadly romance. It was similar to Saw and Jason. Eventually Jude and Nikki were sharing their snacks therefore, they finished quicker. Nikki stared at the screen as she opened the large bag of gummy worms.

Jude was tense as he watched the murderer creep up behind the couple. The scene was dark and the music was helping the horror greatly. The killer held up his sharp machete and was about to kill them when the woman turned back and then she screamed a hair raising scream. Jude shouted and jumped in his seat. The dying couple ran away from the killer. The woman had one leg hanging from her flesh and the man supported her. They collapsed and with the impact, her leg came off and she screamed again. This time Nikki shouted and then gagged ever so slightly.

Nikki bought a worm to her mouth and ate it. She pulled another out and moved it towards Jude. Nikki and Jude had their eyes glued to the screen. Nikki glanced away for one second to find his face.

"Jude." She called out quickly. Jude didn't respond. He only moved his head towards her, his eyes still towards the screen.

Nikki moved the worm to his mouth and he flicked his eyes to it for a second before turning back quickly. He opened his mouth and took it from her hand.

Nikki felt his soft lips against her fingers and her stomach flipped. She stared at him until another scream bought her attention back to the movie. The killer hacked off the man's head off and it came flying out into the crowd. Jude and Nikki shouted and jumped in their seats as for others screamed in terror. The woman screamed as the man's lifeless body fell over her's. She pushed him off and started to drag herself away from the killer. She cried hysterically but pushed on anyway. The killer stalked after her slowly in the night.

Jude reached his hand over, looking for the bag. Instead, it touched Nikki's leg but he didn't tear his eyes from the screen. Nikki flinched at the touch on her thigh and saw Jude's hand searching around for the bag. Nikki pulled a worm out when he gave up and moved it to him. She waited for him to take it as she watched the movie. Jude moved his head and used his mouth to take it again. Since he wasn't looking, he accidentally took the tips of her fingers into his mouth ever so slightly.

Nikki gasped and he noticed then. "My bad, brah." He said without looking away from the screen.

Nikki's stomach did back flips and twisted around the butterflies that frenzied inside of her.

_This is Jude! Why are you freaking out like this? He's your best friend. You shouldn't be freaking out. Besides, it was an accident. No big deal. I mean, it's just Jude!_ Nikki thought frantically. She looked back at the movie to take her mind off of Jude's soft lips.

The woman was hiding in an abandoned car. Her shaking breath was the only thing you could hear in the room. She pulled out the locket the man had told her to take out of his pocket if anything were to happen to them at the beginning and opened it. Inside was a picture of him on one side and her on the other. The woman started to cry as she held the locket to her chest. The suspense music began to fade in and her breathing hitched.

Nikki's hand moved on it's own accord to grab Jude's. Jude glanced down at her hand and then to her face. She looked terrified. Jude grabbed her hand tightly and looked back at the screen no matter how hard his brain told him not to.

The killer was creeping around the car the woman was in. Her shaky breath could be heard. As the killer moved, the machete made an eerie sound as it was dragged against the ground. They switched to the woman and in her point of view, the monster could be seen across from her standing at the back window. Slowly, he pulled his hand up and there hung the head of the man.

Nikki squeezed Jude's hand tighter. Jude could feel her shaking a little but was too involved in the movie to give it any thought.

The woman suppressed a scream and she sobbed. Then, the killer chucked the head of the man at her. The head burst through the car's window. The head, blood and glass came out of the screen right into the screaming audience. Nikki screamed that time and Jude shouted for a longer amount of time than he had been doing.

Their knuckles were pale white from the pressure of their squeezing and Nikki's nails poked into the back of Jude's hand slightly but they didn't notice.

The woman screamed and tried to escape the car. The killer stalked up to her and pulled her bloody form by the hair until her one leg was lifted off the ground and she dangled helplessly off the ground. The movie was at an angle that the audience could see what was left of her leg and the blood dripped into the crowd. Nikki gagged and Jude shut his eyes tightly until he heard the music fade in again. He opened his eyes and saw the woman struggling in the killers hold.

The creature's face was then finally revealed. Nikki gagged again and looked away as the creature sniffed the woman, leaving a trial of saliva. She looked at Jude and he was paler than usual. They both were. Nikki breathed heavily and turned back just as the monster pulled away.

The killer roared. It sounded like an animal and a man screaming out in anger. Nikki screamed along the monster and Jude did the same.

The killer opened it's hideous, repulsive mouth. It's razor sharp teeth were coated in God knows what and then he launched himself to her. He bit her face and she screamed but then it was muffled. The killer was stuffing her own leg down her throat. The woman barely struggled and finally gave in. She fell limp in his hold and the killer tossed her to the ground.

Nikki reached for her barf bag with her free hand and puked into it mercilessly. Jude gave her hand a reassuring squeezed as he watched the movie intently. Give it to Jude to not mind a girl puking like that as it were. Nikki finished her disposal and took a sip from her soda before turning back to watch the rest.

The creature was stalking out of the car graveyard with both victims in hand. He dropped them into a clearing in a forest he walked into. He knelt down and began doing something. His body didn't allow them to see what he was doing until he moved. When he moved, the audience screamed. He had sown them together by the side. He sowed her leg back on and his head back on, both backwards facing into the ground. The moonlight started to slip in between the trees and shone directly down at the scene. Then, the couple started to ever so slightly move and twitch.

Jude gasped as he realized what was happening. At the beginning he heard that once the killer fulfilled his 'duties', he would be killed by the killed.

The couple slowly stood up. Their bloody form and pale skin that glowed in the moonlight was horrible. It moved towards the creature and launched at him. They fell to the ground and the flesh ripping and bones cracking could be heard even if it couldn't be seen.

Then, the credits slowly started creeping in and the lights switched on. Nikki was breathing heavily and Jude couldn't look away from the screen. Nikki's hand was shaking and Jude was able to look down at their hands. Nikki looked at what caught his attention but she couldn't pull her hand away. Jude looked up at her and she glanced at him.

"That...was...terrifying." He whispered.

Nikki tried to laugh but it came out like a shuddering breath. "Yeah it was. I told you. Wasn't it awesome?"

"We can't miss the next one." He said, composing his voice.

"Definitely." Nikki said with a faint chuckle.

Then, they both started laughing. Not hysterically, but just laughing. They picked up their trash and got up from their seats. Then, the lights dimmed back down.

"What the hell?" Nikki whispered.

"Oh cool! It's a prequel, brah." Jude said.

There was a shadow lurking in the forest. Although the figure couldn't be seen, there was a flashing light. The camera slowly trailed down an arm that held a...machete. Then, there was a set of screeching voices. A man's and a woman's. The screeching was cut off by the screen going dark and showing an eerie caption saying 'The Haunted Pray 4'.

"Yeah. We can't miss it, brah." Jude said as the lights switched back on.

They walked out and threw their snacks away into the trash can. Once their hands were empty, they both noticed that they still held hands. They were waiting until the other said something about it, but it never came. That is, not until someone else did.

"Jude? Dude, what's going on?" Jonesy said as he glared at their hands.

"Nothing, brah. Just coming out of the movie 'The Haunted Pray 3-D'." He said casually as he discreetly let go of Nikki's hand. Nikki crossed her arms over her chest.

"You watched it? With Nikki? Why, dude?" Jonesy asked incredulously.

"Why not, dude?" Jude asked confused.

Nikki raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why not, dude?" Nikki asked.

"Well, it's just not right. I hadn't expected Nikki to come. And she's my ex and you my best friend Jude. You aren't supposed to do that." Jonesy said.

"We just watched a movie, brah. Nik is my friend too you know." Jude said.

"Friends don't hold hands, _dude._" Jonesy pointed out angrily.

"Dudes don't cheat on their girlfriends, Jonesy." Jude said irritated.

"What I did to Nikki doesn't matter Jude. What your doing is a foul." Jonesy said.

Without realizing it, they had followed Nikki outside of the mall. It was about closing time.

"Doesn't matter? Jonesy, listen to yourself, dude! What you did is by far worst!" Jude said angrily. A side of Jude no one was used to. Jude's fists were clenched at his sides.

"Yeah but that's normal! You don't normally go around stealing my girls!" Jonesy snapped.

Nikki gasped angrily and was about to snap at him but Jude beat her to it.

"Normal?" Jude shouted angrily. "That isn't supposed to be a normal thing, Jonesy!" Jude pointed a finger back at Nikki. "And she isn't _your girl_ anymore remember? You cheated on her, dude!" He growled at him.

"She may not be my girl but she sure as hell isn't your girl either, Jude!" Jonesy snapped.

"That isn't up to either of us! Nikki and I are just friends and your just a dick!" Jude roared.

"_I'm_ a dick? Are you not hearing _yourself_?" Jonesy pointed out.

"Sure, I'm a dick for sticking up for my best friend, Jonesy." Jude said irritated.

"You can be! I was your friend before her! You shouldn't be doing this Jude!" Jonesy said angrily.

"Everything is always about you! You, you, you! Your a self-centered bastard, Jonesy! Only care about yourself all the time. Never about anyone else and because of that you hurt Nikki and you can't even keep a long relationship or a job! I bet you don't even remember the name of the girl you watched the movie with." Jude ranted.

"Johann! And we've been dating for four months! In your face, dick." Jonesy said proudly.

Nikki gasped at his remark. "F-Four months?"

Jonesy's face twisted into pure horror and regret. "Nikki, I can explain."

Jude growled. "You can't explain with a busted lip." And with that, Jude punched Jonesy right in the mouth.

Jonesy's hands flew up to his mouth and didn't need to look to know he was bleeding. Jonesy glared at his friend. He clenched his fist and sent a fist flying to Jude's face. It connected with his jaw and Jude stumbled a step backwards.

"Jude!" Nikki shouted in shock. Nikki ran up to Jonesy and pushed him forcefully, away from Jude who held his tender jaw. "Are you alright?" She asked Jude.

"I'm fine." He growled. "Nikki move. I'm going to beat the shit out of him."

Jonesy backed away, fear creeping it's way into him as Jude glared daggers at him.

Nikki moved out of the way slowly. Jude took one long step and was face to face with Jonesy. Jude grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close.

"Jude, bro, please. You know I've never been in a real fight. Your stronger than me, Jude. I can't fight back." He whispered to Jude so Nikki wouldn't hear. That was a secret he had only been able to tell Jude.

"You deserve to be pounded on, _Jonesy_." He spat his name with acid.

"I know. I'm sorry, Jude. I'm a dick. Please, let me go." He said as blood dripped from his mouth.

Jude growled and punched him in the eye as hard as he could. Jude let him go and he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Damn it, Jude! That freaking hurts!" He said as he got up and looked towards Nikki. She just stared at him blankly. "What are you staring at?" He spat.

"I give you a chance and you go ahead and screw it up." Jude growled.

Jonesy turned his head to look at Jude but before he could see him, he saw his fist connecting with his nose. Jonesy felt it brake under Jude's hard fist and he collapsed to the ground for the second time. He clutched his nose and tears escaped his eyes at the pain. He turned to glare at Nikki.

"Don't just stand there. Do something! Your always doing nothing! That's the only thing your good at." Jonesy vented at Nikki.

Nikki glared at him angrily. "You know what else I'm good at?" She asked as he stood to his feet. She walked up to him. "Kickboxing."

With that said, Nikki punched Jonesy in the stomach. Left jab, right hook and then a sharp kick. Jonesy gasped for breath. Nikki knew she hadn't hit him hard enough to make him cough up blood or brake a rib but it will bruise badly.

"Jonesy, you aren't the most self-centered, shallow, annoying and infuriating man on the face of the earth." Nikki said behind gritted teeth. With that, she stormed off.

"Ever treat her badly again...and you ain't going to have it so easy." Jude threatened before leaving Jonesy and running after a fuming Nikki.

Once he caught up with her, he realized she was crying and walking into the park.

"Why are you crying, dudette?" He asked curiously.

"Nothing, just leave me alone." She snapped.

Jude wasn't going to leave her like this. He pressed on. "What's chewing you, brah?"

Nikki groaned in exasperation. "I can't believe Jonesy could be such a jerk! Punched in the face and still he finds room to squeeze his fat ego through."

"Forget him, Nik. Don't let him eat you. Just chillax." Jude said, walking them over to a tree.

"Jude, thank you for everything." She said as she threw herself into him for a hug.

Jude slowly hugged her back. She buried her face into the crook of his neck and he could feel the warm tears. He stroked her hair awkwardly and cooed his whacky sayings and haiku into her ear.

"Jude, I'm sorry I broke down like this on you. I feel so stupid." Nikki said as she lifted herself off Jude.

"Nah, it's ok dude. We all freak out sometimes and you had every right, brah. Jonesy is a jerk." Jude said in his usual way.

"Yeah but he's your best friend too. You didn't have to do that. He's been a jerk before and it never mattered, you know. It happens and it sorts itself out." Nikki explained.

"Honestly, I don't know why I went all crazy like that. I broke his nose brah. That wasn't too cool." Jude said. He rubbed the back of his neck. "How is this going to sort itself out? I broke his nose and busted his lip and gave him a black eye..."

Nikki chuckled. "Where'd you learn to fight anyway?"

"It isn't a fight when there's only one dude hitting." Jude said looking sheepishly.

"That's true but still, you hit him pretty hard, Jude." Nikki said.

"Yeah well, it comes in my nature. When I snap, all hell brakes loose." Jude said with a chuckle. "I just hope everything sorts out. Jonesy is my best bro, brah."

"I think everything will work out for you two, it's a hunch." Nikki reassured. "I don't think he's coming tomorrow though. He's pretty beat up."

"Yeah..." Jude said as he plopped himself on the floor. "How'd you learn to kickbox?"

"My dad taught me some basics. I do it when I need to vent. So I guess I do it a lot." She said simply.

Her phone rang as she sat next to Jude.

"Hello?" She answered.

"_Nikki, why the hell didn't you do anything? Jude was hurting me and you just stood there! Why didn't you help me out?" _Jonesy yelled on the other line.

"Ugh! Help you? What makes you think you deserve for me to help you? You deserved what you got!" Nikki yelled back.

"_Break-ups happen all the time! Why can't you take it like a normal girl?" _Jonesy fumed.

"Because it wasn't a normal relationship! I took you back well over four times! Most girls don't do that but I loved you enough to do it! You screwed it up one too many times!" She yelled.

"_I think I still have a little left in me. Nikki you know you're going to take me back eventually. It's the way of life. We're perfect together."_ Jonesy said in his smooth tone.

Nikki scoffed. "I'm sure you have a little left in you. Just know that it ain't going to be me breaking. The way of life just took a detour."

"_Nikki, come on. You know I need you. You can't do this to me."_ Jonesy pleaded.

"You should've thought of that before you went on and cheated on me! We're through and that's that!" Nikki yelled.

Jude poked her with his elbow and gave her a what's-going-on look. Nikki rolled her eyes angrily and mouthed "Jonesy.". Jude frowned.

"_Nikki, I made a mistake. You know how I am so you know I mean well with you. No matter how many girls I go out with, you'll always be my babe."_ Jonesy said sadly.

Nikki looked at the grass thoughtfully. She had always given into Jonesy. She loved him so much. Jude placed his hand on her shoulder. Nikki glanced up at him, hiding her face with her bangs.

"Jude, he's asking for me back. I don't want to but..." Nikki whispered to Jude.

"Do whatever you heart tells you to, brah." Jude said.

"I don't know Jude. Me and Jonesy have always pulled through everything no matter what happened." Nikki whined. "But then again, he's been with _the other girl_ for four months behind my back. He's never been with a girl for so long and it seems things are going smoothly for them." Nikki growled. "Jude, what do I do?" She asked, burying her head in her hands, pressing the speaker button accidentally.

"_Judes' with you? What are you doing with Jude? Aren't you supposed to be crying in your room?"_ Jonesy shouted.

Jude growled and snatched the phone from Nikki.

"Listen Jonesy, I'm here keeping Nikki together over what you did, like good friends do!" He snapped.

"_Jude!-"_

Jude snapped the phone shut angrily and handed it back to Nikki.

"Sorry, brah." He apologized for taking the phone.

Nikki buried her face into her hands in despair. "I am _not_ taking him back." Nikki growled.

"Good." Jude said.

Nikki's phone rang as she sat next to Jude. Nikki placed her backpack down next to her and answered the phone with a sigh, expecting Jonesy.

"_Nikki!"_ Her mother's voice sounded frantic and worried.

"Mom? What's wrong? Are you alright?" Nikki asked hurriedly.

Jude looked at her worriedly and she frowned. Jude leaned in to listen to the conversation.

"_Your father just had a car accident. A van crashed into him on a red light. I'm at the hospital with your sister. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you on time but it was a sudden emergency and I'm sure you can take care of yourself as we're gone."_ Mrs. Wong said worriedly.

Nikki muffled a gasp with her mouth and tears formed in her eyes.

"Is he going to be alright?" Nikki asked.

"_We just arrived here. We're looking for his room. I'll call you as soon as I can. You have the spare keys to the house, right?"_

Nikki gasped again.

"No! I left them in my room and Caitlin bailed because she's going on a trip with her dad!" Nikki said as she slapped her forehead with her palm.

"_What about Jen?"_

"Jonesy lives there too. There's no way I'm staying there!" Nikki wailed.

"_I take it we need to have a talk when everything settles down. Well, how about Wyatt? He's trustworthy enough for you to stay over at his place for the night."_

Nikki groaned. "Wyatt is hosting a concert at his grandmother's church for her birthday today."

"_Well, what other friends do you have?"_ Mrs. Wong asked frantically. Something sounded like heels clicking on steps.

"There's Jude." Nikki suggested.

"_Jude? Who's Jude?" _She asked confused.

Jude leaned his face to the phone. "Hey Mrs. Wong! It's Jude. Don't you remember me?"

Nikki pushed the skater away and rolled her eyes.

"Jude has been my friend since kindergarten. He's been living in our neighborhood for years, mom. He's one of my best friends." Nikki explained.

"_Jude. The laid-back, slacker skater boy? The one who has little to none personal hygiene and is very accident prone?"_

Jude leaned over again. "Aw, thanks Mrs. W!" He laughed.

Nikki pushed him again. "The very one."

"_No way, Nikki. I can't let you stay there! His parents aren't always there at his house. I can't let you go. I'd be a bad mother if I did."_

"You'd be a worst mother if you left me locked out on a cold October night." Nikki said.

Mrs. Wong sighed heavily. _"Fine. But please Nicole, be careful and don't inhale anything he gives you!"_

Jude laughed. "Don't worry Mrs. Wong. I don't do any of that stuff. I'm pure. Relax, Nikki will be fine. We'll have a great time." He said into the phone.

Nikki managed a smile. "Alright mom, I'll let you worry about dad now. Don't worry about me. Jude is fine and I will be fine too."

"_Alright, honey. Keep your phone near by for when I call to check up on you. And Jude, no funny business."_

"You got it Mrs. W. Nikki is in good hands." He said, suppressing the urge to call her dude.

The call went dead and Nikki snapped the phone shut. She buried her head in her hands and sobbed.

"Great! That's just what I needed! Today has been the worst day of my life!" Nikki sobbed.

"No it hasn't. You managed to look extremely hot today, brah. I'd say that's pretty awesome." Jude said as he casually threw his arm over her shaking shoulders. "And the movie was killer."

Nikki smiled. "Yeah, your right about that." She said as she leaned into him casually. "You really think I look hot?" She asked teasingly.

"Sure. You always look hot but today you look killer, dude." He said.

"I always look hot? How come you never told me you thought that, Jude?" She asked. She shifted so she could look into his calm blue eyes.

He shrugged. "I figured you knew."

"Not really." She said simply. "I can't believe it. Through all of what happened today, I ended up having to sleep over at your place."

"Yeah, dude. Non-stop par-tay!" Jude said as he pumped his fist into the air.

Jude jumped up to his feet and Nikki flopped over to the ground where he sat with an 'ugh'.

"Sorry, dude." He said as he lifted her off the ground and started walking to his house.

It was silent on the way there. When they entered their familiar neighborhood, the dogs all started barking at them and their owners all hushed them angrily. When they reached Jude's porch, Nikki stopped walking.

"So..._are_ your parents home?" She asked nervously. Nikki hadn't stayed over at a boy's house without one of her girlfriends.

As if on cue, the door opened and Jude's parents came tumbling out. They stopped when they saw the girl standing shyly besides their son.

"Who's this?" Jude's mother asked curiously.

"Isn't that Nikki Wong?" His father asked as he took a closer look at Nikki. "She looks different."

"Yeah, more feminine." His mom added.

Nikki clenched her fists at her sides and forced a smile. "Thanks." She snapped.

"Mom, dad, can Nikki stay over? She's locked out of her house and her family is stuck in the hospital. Mr. Wong had an accident. Nik has nowhere else to go." Jude said lazily.

"Well sure Jude. Your dad and I are headed off for dinner. We'll be back whenever. I think there's pizza in the fridge. It's a little stale but just heat it up a little, it should still be good enough to digest." His mom said as they made their way into their make shift van. They took off, leaving a black cloud of smoke in the drive way.

Jude let Nikki in. "Well, your family is so welcoming!" Nikki said sarcastically.

"Yeah. Listen, I'm going to the bathroom. Make yourself at home, brah. Mi casa es su casa." Jude said as he climbed the stairs two by two.

"Have fun." Nikki said as she wandered into the living room and plopped down into the mushy couch.

Jude's house smelled strange. Not bad, but not like cinnamon and flowers. More like, air freshener and wet dog. Welcoming enough, Nikki thought. She randomly opened her cell and ran through her contacts. She stopped over Jonesy's number and glared at it. Her finger lingered over the delete button.

"Ugh...he's my friend. I'm being over dramatic." Nikki said as she snapped the phone shut and groaned.

She rolled over onto her stomach and buried her face into the cushion, despite the toxic smell.

"I hate my life!" She screamed into the couch as she pounded on the cushion angrily. "And I hate Jonesy Garcia!"

"Life's too short to live in regrets, brah. You gotta live life like me! Care-free and fun." Jude said as he plopped down into another couch.

Nikki forced herself to sit on the couch and look at Jude. "Easy for you to say. Your Jude." She mumbled.

Jude chuckled. "It's not so hard. Come on, I'll show you." He said as he grabbed her by the hand and dragged him into his room.

"Wow. I expected to be hugged by a thick fog of rancid smells and attacked by dirty laundry." Nikki joked.

Jude looked offended. "That's not nice, dude. I keep my crash pad clean."

Nikki grabbed some socks hanging from the wall clock and raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Jude snatched the socks from her and threw them across the hall. Jude picked some things up and stuffed them into his closet or into a drawer in his desk.

"There." Jude said pleased with his 'cleaning up'.

"I didn't ask you to do that." Nikki said as she crawled into his bed.

"Yeah but my mom did a few weeks ago." Jude said lazily as he plopped down into his desk chair. He leaned back and put his feet on the desk.

"Right. Hey Jude, what time is it?" Nikki asked.

"There's a clock right over there, brah." He said pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

"It says it's only 7:30. Is that right?" She asked as she reached for her cell and opened it. "It is right. It's still early." Nikki glanced over at the date. "Hm, it's October 30th." She mumbled.

Nikki practically jumped out of the bed. She landed on the edge. "OCTOBER 30th?" She screamed in disbelief.

Jude flinched and fell back in his chair, crashing into the ground. He groaned as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Nikki! What the heck, brah!" Jude groaned out.

"Jude! It's October 30th! As in, the night before Halloween!" Nikki said frantically.

Jude shot up to his feet. "Aw man! I totally forgot! Do you think the other dudes remember?"

"I don't know. Let me dial them." Nikki said as she called her friends.

Once they all answered, Nikki broke the news quickly.

"Guys, did anyone remember tomorrows' Halloween?" She asked as she pressed the speaker button so Jude could hear.

"_Aw man! I totally forgot! I had been too busy composing the song for my grandma." _Wyatt answered first.

"_I've been too busy to even realize what day it was! I forgot completely!"_ Jen wailed.

"_Oh no! I'm stuck here at the hotel! I forgot! Aw! I can't spend Halloween with you guys this year! Oh this is terrible!"_ Caitlin wailed as she started crying.

"_Dude, I forgot too over all the drama. Man, I don't have a costume for this year and I'm at my aunt's place now."_ Jonesy groaned.

"_I don't have a costume either. None of us do. This is terrible!"_ Jen said sadly. _"Hey, is Jude here? I haven't heard from him yet."_ Jen said curiously.

"Oh... Judes' here with me. I mean, I'm here with Jude. It's a long story and I'm stuck here for the night with Jude." Nikki said. Jonesy was about to say something but she cut him off. "What are we going to do? We can't bail out on Halloween!"

"_Well, I'm hopeless so I have to go. My dad is looking for me. I'll let you guys sort things out."_ Caitlin said sadly and then she left the conversation.

"Well what now, dudes? Halloween is like, our holiday!" Jude wailed flailing his arms around.

"_Well, I think I can trick my grandmother so I can go and buy the costume."_ Wyatt said hopeful.

"_I can convince mom to take me and Jonesy out to buy costumes. I just have to blackmail, beg and cry a little. Jonesy can help."_ Jen said suggestively.

"_Why do you suppose I'll help you? I'm in it for me. There's no way I'll help you step sister!"_ Jonesy said.

Loud footsteps could be heared and a door slamming open. They could hear Jen yelling and hitting Jonesy over the head. Jonesy fell to the ground.

"_Ok fine, I'll help you! Just get out of my room!"_ Jonesy yelled.

The door slammed shut and another opened and closed. _"Problem solved."_ Jen said proudly.

"Jude, do you think we can go costume shopping? There's a party store near by the neighborhood." Nikki asked.

"Sure thing, dudette." Jude said as he patted her head.

"Well then it's settled. We're all good, right?" Nikki said.

"_Yup."_ They all answered in unison.

"Well then, we'll see you tomorrow at the mall first thing." Nikki said before snapping the phone shut.

Jude rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Do you really think you should be going out like that? After all that's been going on?" He asked. His uneasiness was visible in his vioce.

Nikki rolled her eyes. "Yeah." She scoffed. "Shit like this happens to me all the time. Dad's going to be fine. He survives civilization while he wears all that 70's crap, right?" She joked. "Life's too short to live in regrets." Nikki quoted Jude with a smirk.

"Fine." Jude said in defeat. "Come on, let's go before we get the doors shut in our faces." Jude said as he lazily grabbed the keys to the house and walked out. He shut the door after Nikki came out and he locked it.

The walk to the store was going silently until Nikki decided to break the silence.

"What are you planning on getting, Jude?" She asked.

"Dunno. I was thinking about being a mummy or a zombie." Jude said. His eyes sparkled as he imagined himself wrapped in old toilet paper.

Nikki snorted a laugh. "That's so lame Jude. You should be more like a vampire at least. A werewolf, ghoul, deceased or something. But a mummy? Please." Nikki said.

"Your so not nice, brah." Jude said as he glanced at her. "Well then how bout you? What do you wanna be?"

"I don't know yet. Whatever I see and I have enough money to buy." Nikki said with a shrug. "Here we are." She said as she entered a store.

Jude looked to his left and nearly jumped on top of Nikki when he saw a zombie lurking besides him. He screamed out and hid behind Nikki. Nikki straight out laughed at him.

"It's scary, man!" Jude tried to defend himself.

"Yeah, soooo scary." Nikki teased.

"Why am I even your friend? Your always harshing my mellow, brah." He mumbled.

Nikki ignored his comment and pulled him along by his wrist. The store was filled with different costumes and masks and decorations. Cobwebs dangled here and there and creepy dolls lurked around in seats. Nikki passed by a Freddy Krueger doll and it bellowed a laugh and it's clawed hand launched toward her. Nikki yelped and jumped back. She bumped into Jude's chest. He grabbed either one of her arms and leaned his head over her shouler.

"What's the matter, brah? Scared?" He whispered eerily, getting back at her, and it made Nikki shudder.

Nikki elbowed him in the stomach. "Shut up, Jude!" She said as she walked forward and left Jude to himself.

The Freddy doll stared right at him. "Dude!" He yelled as he ran after her quickly.

Once he caught up with her, he saw her gawking up at a dress.

"I'm getting that!" She said pointing up to the dress. "Oh, but it's probably expensive as hell." She said with a groan.

As if on cue, a rather young worker walked up next to them. He was about their age.

"It's the day before Halloween. Everything is half off. It's a store tradition." He said.

Nikki jumped, startled by the boy that came out of no where. "Really?" She asked disbelievingly.

"Mhm. That's down to 80 dollars." He said with a soft smile. The kind that sales people use to butter up customers.

Nikki tried not to wince at the price. "80 dollars, huh? Half price my arse." She mumbled.

"This costume is a set. It's a corpse bride and groom." The merchant said, oblivious to her comment.

Nikki looked at the tattered tux the man held before her and she snapped her head towards Jude with pleading eyes.

"Jude, please, please, please!" She begged.

"I dunno, brah. I'm not really looking for that kind of commitment yet." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Nikki dropped down to one knee and clenched her hands together in front of her. She looked directly into his shinning blue eyes and for a second, she felt hypnotized. The attendant looked at the scene with interest.

"Jude Lizowski, will you please be my corpse groom? Please say yes." She begged in her most pleaded, feminine voice she could muster.

"On one condition." He said holding up a finger.

"Anything." Nikki said as she got up off the floor.

"If anyone asks what's our story, I can say 'Death didn't do us part. We are death. Muahaha!'" Jude said in his slurred way.

"Deal. How much you got?" Nikki asked him.

"I got 20 on me." He said. He pulled out the money in one hand. It was all crumpled up and had lint all over it.

Nikki groaned. "I only have 50. I really want that dress."

"I'll tell you what. I would have paid 10 bucks to watch you ask for his commitment like that." The attendant whispered. "It was hilarious. I'll just take those 10 bucks off for you."

Nikki's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

The man nodded and sent her a wink as he pulled the dress down. They walked to the register and paid their money and were handed their costumes.

Nikki batted her eyelashes at him. "Are you sure you won't lose your job?" She asked. She tried her best to fake her concern.

"Nah, it's just me and my dad here. No sweat." He said with a smirk.

"Alright then. Thank you so much." She said as she headed out the door. She made sure to sway her hips a little for the man back at the register.

"Happy Halloween!" He called out after them.

"You too, brah. Thanks for hooking us up. Your the dude." Jude said back at him.

The man slightly glared at him with a frown. Jude followed Nikki out hurriedly.

"What's with that guy?" He asked Nikki.

"You didn't notice? He was checking me out. That's why he hooked us up." Nikki explained in the parking lot.

"Sweeeeet." Jude said in his mellow way.

"What a scam! I have 10 bucks left!" Nikki whispered to Jude excitedly.

"Dude, your a gorgeous genius!" Jude said as he hugged his friend and spun her around.

"I know. Now come on, I think there's a Walgreen's nearby. We can look for the more detailed stuff that cost around a buck." Nikki said as she handed Jude his bag with the costume.

The walk to Walgreen's was pretty far and silent. As soon as they got there, Nikki broke out the list she had been mentally organizing on the way there.

"Alright Jude. We're going to need anything that resembles fake blood and a Halloween makeup kit that costs around 8 bucks." Nikki said as she scanned the half empty racks.

"Yo, look at this. It's a little bag with fake spiders and cotton spider webs." Jude said as he handed it over to Nikki.

"This will come in handy. Sweet, only 75 cents!" She said as she walked on.

"Oh! Nikki, there are some tubes with gooey fake blood. 25 cents." Jude called out to her.

Nikki walked over to him and took one of the tubes and scanned it. A woman passed by with an ugly green vest that read; Hi! My name is Susan. Feel free to ask for help.

"Hey, Susan!" Nikki called out waving her hand for her to come over.

"Yes? How may I help you?" She asked sweetly.

"Yeah, why are these so cheap? Their not so small. Is this some kind of mix up?" Nikki said as she lazily rolled the tube in her hand.

"Oh. Well you see, these have been reported. A lot of customers have had an allergic reaction on these." She explained.

Jude walked up behind Nikki and the woman blushed when she looked up at him. Nikki noticed and almost laughed out.

"Will you excuse me for a sec?" Nikki said as she pushed Jude away from the middle aged woman. "Jude! She's into you! Play a card and ask her if we could sample it before we buy them. She said people have had allergic reactions." Nikki whispered to him.

Jude shrugged. "Sure thing, brah." He said as he started his way over. Nikki followed close behind.

Jude smiled at her and she smiled back shyly. Jude was oblivious to this of course. "Hey dudette, do you mind if me and mah brah sample it first before we buy it? I'm really sensitive to these kinds of things." He said casually.

"S-Sure thing." She said as she fumbled with the tube to get it opened. When she succeeded, she handed it to the blonde nervously.

Jude put some on the inside of his wrist and then did Nikki. They waited awkwardly for ten minutes and the blood hadn't done anything to their skin. They waited and extra five minutes just to be sure.

"Well, no reactions. We'll take them." Nikki said.

The woman, about in her early 20's, ignored her completely and had her attention on Jude.

"So your dressing up for Halloween?" She asked nervously. "I was invited to a costume party and I don't have a d-date. I was wondering if maybe you'd l-like to go with m-me." She asked as she fiddled with a strand of her hair.

Nikki suddenly felt a spark go off in the mouth of her stomach. She felt nauseous. She walked up behind Jude and linked her arm with his.

"Sorry but he's already with me. I'm his corpse bride. Not even death could do us part." Nikki said much like an overprotective, jealous girlfriend but with her though girl demeanor.

Nikki pulled Jude by the arm and dragged him away from her, back to the blood tubes.

"Jude! Why didn't you turn her down?" Nikki said as she flailed her arms around. Jude opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "Ew! She's like 20 years old! What were you thinking Jude?" Nikki ranted.

"You didn't give me time to talk, brah." Jude said defensively. "I know I'm already with you. I wasn't going to say yeah. Chill out!" Jude said as he grabbed her shoulders. "Are you OK, brah?" He asked.

"I'm fine, Jude!" She snapped like she would snap at Jonesy. That's when she noticed what had happened. "I'm sorry Jude. I don't know why I freaked like that." Nikki said sadly and thoughtfully.

"S'k brah." He said as he grabbed a few tubes of fake blood.

Nikki walked over to an empty shelf and picked up a dusty box of makeup.

"Check it out, Jude. It has liner, some base, shadows, some green gooey stuff and some sponges. Oh it has some fake lashes too. Looks like it used to have some fangs too." Nikki said.

"Sorry, you lost me at green gooey stuff." Jude said in a daze. He chuckled as images of himself as a green blob monster infiltrated his mind.

Nikki called over an old woman. Her vest said she was the manager.

"Excuse me. This box is broken and has some fangs missing." Nikki said as she showed the woman.

A voice sounded throughout the half empty store announcing it was 5 minutes until closing time.

"Oh. I'm sorry about that. I'll throw it out immediately." The woman said as she reached for the box.

Nikki pulled it away. "No. Me and my friend actually need this. We don't need the fangs at all and the rest is in tact. I checked. We'll still buy it at full price if we have to." Nikki said trying to be polite.

"Oh. Well in that case, just take it. Free of charge. Now, is there anything else you will be needing?" The woman asked politely.

"Black lipstick?" Nikki asked.

The woman pointed at something small in the box.

"Oh. I didn't see it there. Well, I'm good. How about you, Jude?" Nikki asked.

Jude was searching for something in his pockets. Nikki raised an eyebrow and was about to ask but he pulled something out. A five dollar bill.

"I'll take these shackles and I'm good." He said as he swung around some light, plastic shackles.

"Alright then. Hurry before we close. I'll tell security to let you out with the makeup box." The woman said as she walked off.

Jude and Nikki rushed to a cash register and paid for their stuff. Nikki only had two dollars left. They walked out and the theft sensors went off. Nikki looked back and saw the guard nod at her. She smiled and went to catch up with Jude.

"What do you need shackles for, Jude?" Nikki asked curiously.

"Well, I figured since we're a dead couple, our feet should be bound together. It's symbolic." Jude said.

"Your smarter than you lead on to be, Lizowski." Nikki teased.

"Thanks. Your nicer than you want people to think." Jude countered.

Nikki scoffed. "As if! Come on. It's really dark and it's the night before Halloween. It's dangerous out here and it's a long way back to your place. I'm very paranoid too." Nikki said as she started to walk.

Jude followed her silently. Nikki looked up to the corner they were about to turn. She saw someone standing there with his hands in his pockets. He had a black hoodie that covered his face from their view. He looked far too ominous.

"Jude, that guy over there is making me nervous. I don't want to pass by there, Jude." Nikki whispered frantically. Her voice cracked. "Don't you know any shortcuts?"

Jude's face hardened and his jaw clenched. "Sorry. There aren't any shortcuts, Nikki." He whispered. "Just don't look him in the eye and play it cool. Don't walk too slow but don't walk too fast either. Just enough to take off in a run just in case." He said as he discreetly glanced at the man.

Nikki started hyperventilating and her eyes watered. "Jude." She called in a shaky breath.

"Here, switch to this side. He'll have a harder time reaching for you if he's planning anything." Jude said as he switched on the sidewalk with her.

"Jude." Was all Nikki managed to say.

Nikki and Jude were about three feet away from him. The light post shone down an eerie orange light on the man. The man glanced at them from underneath his hoodie. Nikki grabbed Jude's hand and gripped it tightly. Jude gripped her hand tightly and looked at the ground before him.

"Get ready to run. This dude means business. Don't look back and keep running no matter what. Straight home, Nik." Jude whispered.

They were there. The man looked up at them but his face was just a shadow.

"Sup, dude." Jude said casually as they passed by him.

Jude picked up the pace as soon as they had passed him.

"Don't look back, Nik. Keep walking." Jude whispered.

Jude glanced back discreetly. He used his long hair to cover his eyes from the man. The man was stalking them close behind. Jude shot a glance at his hands that were stuffed into his pockets. Jude looked back forward quicky.

"Nikki, listen to me. The guy is following us. I don't think he has a gun but he may have a knife." Jude started. A sob escaped Nikki and he squeezed her hand. "Nikki, stay with me on this. Keep yourself together." He said as he glanced back again. The man was a few paces behind them. "Shit. Nikki, he's right behind us." Jude said under his breath.

Nikki full out started crying. "Jude." She whispered. "Jude. Jude. Jude." She kept saying over and over between sobs.

"Ready? Run!" He said to her.

Jude started to run, dragging her along with him. He ran as fast as he could. He looked back and saw that the man had began to chase them. He wasn't too far behind.

"Shit! He's right behind us!" Jude wailed frantically.

Nikki screamed and ran faster, passing by Jude. Nikki ran faster and faster, dragging Jude along with her. Her tears fell behind her as she pushed on. Jude struggled to keep his legs under him as he sprinted behind Nikki. He looked back again and the man was farther behind and they were 5 houses down from his. Jude gasped when he saw the man pull something out of his jacket's pocket.

"Shit! Nikki, he has a fucking gun!" He wailed. Jude ran faster, pulling Nikki with him. Nikki had practically frozen when Jude said that.

"Jude!" Nikki cried out. It's all she could say. She was breaking down then and there.

"We're almost there, Nikki! Keep running. If he's smart, he'll only take one shot. He has to be a good freaking shot to get us. If he shoots more than one time, he'd alert people and will have cops on him and I'm sure he doesn't want that." Jude said. It was hard to speak while running when your life depended on it.

Nikki found her voice but it was cracking and shaking with every word. "Jude, I don't know what to do! I'm scared, Jude!"

"Just run, Nik! Run! Take the keys and open the door calmly and get in. Be ready to shut the door when I get inside! Go!" He said as he shoved the keys into her free hand.

"But Jude!" She started to protest.

"I live for this kind of thing! Just go!" He tried to joke before pushing her forward.

Nikki ran as fast as her legs would allow. She had gotten far enough and she looked back. Jude was a few feet away and the man was close behind him. Nikki shut her eyes and ran faster despite of her body's protests. She ran through the gates, taking a scrape on the way through and sprinted up the drive way. She took a deep breath and opened the door quickly and stepped inside, dumping the bags on the ground. She stood at the door and saw Jude leaping over the gate and running inside. Nikki slammed the door shut and locked it up. They leaned against the door. Jude went bounding off into the living room and started locking all the windows and shutting the curtains tightly. He ran by into the kitchen and did the same. He looked at Nikki who was leaning against the wall her face was struck with terror. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He called the police as he bounded up the stairs to shut the windows and explain everything to the police.

Nikki slowly moved to the window next to the door and pushed the curtain away enough to look out of the window. The man was looking into her eyes when she looked. She gasped and moved away quickly. She took a deep breath and sprinted up the stairs despite the darkness.

"Jude! He s-saw me. H-He's on your porch in f-front of the window. I w-went to look and he was r-right there and he s-saw m-me, Jude!" Nikki whispered frantically.

"I have the cops on the phone, Nik." Jude said out of breath.

"Tell them to get up to the corner of our s-street. They should take i-it on foot from there so h-he doesn't see it c-coming. I-I don't think he's leaving anytime s-soon and we don't have much t-time. You're parents might get here any minute and he could use them as bait to get us o-out of the house." Nikki said.

Jude told the officers what she said and then he hung up.

"They said that they'd be here soon. They said that if this was some punk pulling a prank that I'd be in big trouble. They know my parents aren't home..." Jude said in a whisper.

Nikki pulled her phone out as it rang, She saw Wyatt's number.

"Wyatt. Me and Jude are in deep shit right now. There's a guy outside. He chased us with a gun all the way to Jude's house, Wyatt. Police are on the way right now." Nikki blurted out.

"_What?"_ Wyatt wailed._ "Are you guys alright? Where are Mr. and Mrs. Lizowski?"_

Jude snatched the phone from Nikki's shaking hand.

"Wyatt, it's Jude. We're fine and police are on the way. Mom and dad are out and I don't think their coming back soon. Nikki is having a panic attack so I'll call you later, brah. Don't tell anyone, dude. Not a soul. Just don't worry." Jude said before shutting the phone and tossing it on a desk.

Jude walked over to a shaking Nikki and just hugged her tightly. Nikki constricted the very life out of him as she cried hysterically into his chest. Jude stroked her head as he walked them over to his bed. He sat down pulling Nikki down onto his lap and cradling her close. He hushed her and whispered that everything would be alright.

Everything was silent for a while and then something sounded. Something hit against the door hard. Nikki gripped Jude's shirt tightly and started to hyperventilate. Jude hugged her tightly and kissed her head trying to comfort her as much as he could. Jude could feel tears form in his eyes and he wasn't going to try and hold them in. He sobbed slightly and Nikki looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. Jude smiled down at her as tears rolled down his pale face.

"Jude." Nikki whispered. "You're the best friend I could ever ask for. Thank you for always being there for me. I know this isn't the end or anything but don't ever forget that, Jude." Nikki sobbed.

"No problem, brah. Being your friend is awesome." He sniffled. "Your the best friend anyone would want to have. You're an awesome dudette." He said with a soft smile.

"Always so mellow." Nikki said with her own soft smile.

"Nik, I'm sorry this has been officially the worst day of your life. That's harsh, man." Jude said sincerely.

"It sure has been the worst day of my life. But...it's been the best day I've ever had with you and that kind of tilts the balance." Nikki said.

Nikki looked into his watery blue eyes and he into her chocolate ones. They stayed like that for a minute. Nikki's eyes flicked down to Jude's lips that were slightly parted as he breathed heavily. She looked back into his eyes and she leaned into him and kissed him shortly but sweetly.

Jude's eyes widened slightly. "Dude, you just kissed me." Jude whispered.

"I wish I had done it at the movie theater when I really wanted to." She confessed.

Something banged on the door again and Nikki winced.

"At the theater?" Jude asked in disbelief.

Nikki nodded. "I hadn't known what was off today then. But now, I know that I was falling for Jude." She said with a sigh. "My ex's best friend. My best friend since kindergarten. The boy I was nearly killed with. The guy that always helps me when I need him. The cutest Zamboni driving, delinquent, skateboarding, laid back guy in the world. The dude with the most beautiful eyes known to man. The beanie wearing junkie that stole my heart tonight." She whispered happily. She cuddled up against him.

Jude wrapped his arms around her waist and put his chin on her head.

"I think I can top that." He said referring to what he knew were compliments. "I love you, Nikki." He said.

Nikki sobbed. "I love you too, Jude."

Something hit against the door again.

Nikki groaned, trying to be more herself again. "Why wont he just leave?"

"He knows we probably called the cops. He isn't leaving until her gets what he wants." Jude said in his mellow tone.

Again, the door sounded off. This time the locks could be heard as they struggled to keep the door shut. Nikki flinched at the sound.

"Jude." She said as she began to hyperventilate again.

"Calm down, brah. The cops should be here any minute." Jude said nervously.

The door was hit again. Again...again...again. Then, it stopped. There was silence.

"Did he give up?" Nikki whispered.

"Not likely." The man said from the doorway.

Nikki screamed as the man slowly pulled the gun up to them. Nikki grabbed Jude's hand tightly and shut her eyes. Jude glared at the man. If looks could kill, Jude thought angrily.

"What? You don't intimidate me, _Jude_." The man said mockingly.

"How do you know my name?" Jude asked behind gritted teeth.

"That's all your little girlfriend can say." He said with a shrug.

"What do you want from us? Why didn't you just leave us alone?" Jude asked furiously.

"What? And miss all of the action? Besides, the doll seems like a whole lot of fun. I think I'll waste her later than I had intended." The man said coolly.

"You dare touch her..." Jude threatened.

"You can't do much with a bullet in your head, can you?" The man teased.

Nikki glared up at the man intensely. "I swear upon your grave that if you hurt him, I'll blow you a new asshole!" She threatened furiously.

"Feisty. I like it." The man growled in his throat.

"I'll slit your throat you son of a bitch." Jude growled.

"Shut it, fag." The man barked angrily.

Nikki couldn't take that one. She needed to get her hands on his neck and strangle him.

"I'll chop you to pieces and feed them to you until there's nothing but your own tongue and I'll keep that one as a souvenir." Nikki threatened again. She had a plan. She looked at the doorway and straight across it was the stair case.

"You're amusing. I'm going to have fun with you." He said.

"I hope they make that video-game soon." Jude teased.

"What? I told you to shut it!" The man said, pointing his gun straight at him. Nikki moved herself in front of him Jude protectively. "Come on, doll. Let me get a clean shot. I'm not even started with you yet. Wait you turn." He said as he aimed at Jude's head. Nikki got in the way again. The man pointed somewhere else and Nikki was quick to follow. "Fine. Let's start with you now then." He said as he slammed the gun against a table and placed it there. He took three strides towards Nikki.

As soon as he leaned over to grab her, Nikki jumped out of Jude's hold and grabbed the front of his shirt. She used the weight of her body and rolled backwards. She used her legs to hold the man up as they flipped over the side of the bed. Nikki's weight fell over the man and he had the air knocked out of him. The man punched Nikki square in the jaw and came back to her eye and barely missed and he jerked his head up and connected with her mouth. Nikki could feel her lips bust and the blood trickle down her chin. Nikki buried her knee in his stomach and he coughed out of breath.

Jude jumped down off the bed and pinned the mans arms with his knees. Nikki pinned his legs with her knees and he shouted out in pain. Nikki started to punch the man senseless in the face. The man struggled. His arms were held in place but his body was mobile and he nearly knocked Nikki over. Jude switched with Nikki and punched the man over, over, over and over again. The man's face was covered in blood and Jude's knuckles had his own blood.

Jude lifted the man up by his shirt and pushed him against the wall. Nikki took the chance to give him a round house kick to the face and the man went limp in Jude's hold. Jude didn't stop there. He kicked the man in the stomach over and over as he cursed and insulted the man the way a sailor would.

"Jude, I think that's enough. I think the police is here now." Nikki said.

"Fuck the police..." Jude growled.

Nikki walked over to the door and switched on the lights. Immediately, she had more than three guns pointed at her. Nikki raised her hands over her head as they ran up the stairs.

"I'm Nicole Wong and that's Jude Lizowski. We called you guys over an hour ago because we were assaulted by some bastard that can't fight even if his life depended on it!" Nikki fumed.

"There were complications on the way. There was a robbery on the way here and we stopped to drop off two of our men but that was a matter of seconds. Our department isn't too close here. Now, has there been any sign of the man?" The police man said in a rush.

"Yeah. We just beat the candy outta the dude. He's laying by the bed. He's unconscious, I think." Jude said as he walked up besides Nikki.

"We'll have you taken to the hospital and we'll take care of the convict. Were any of you shot?" He rushed out again. Police men have to talk so fast? I suppose.

"Nah, we weren't shot, brah. But he did get some good blows. I think I broke my hand against his face." Jude said as he gently held his trembling hand.

"There's an ambulance down there waiting for you two. Go on ahead." The police man ordered.

Jude and Nikki were rushed to the hospital and it was a silent ride. They were both attended and left in bed in separate rooms. They were left to sleep and rest up. Specifically, Nikki was by far the worst. She broke down the second they entered the doors and had a panic attack. She had fallen unconscious and she was treated, then. She was caught in a deep sleep. A well deserved sleep.

**A/N: Thank you so much for taking from you time to read this! I know it was freakishly long but the rest will be shorter hopefully. I'm sorry for any (specifically Nikki) OOCness in this fic but I tried to join everything together.**

**Please leave me reviews.**

**Subscribe to the story so you can find out what happens in their lives. What happens in the group. How their friends react to their new romance. How they recover physically and mentally. I'll try to update as soon as I can but it might take a while. This has been, by far, my longest chapter ever. If you don't review, then I'll just leave it as a tragic one shot.**

**P.S. I'm sorry for all the suffering but that's what I felt like putting them through. Everything will lighten up by chapter 3 perhaps. Such a tragedy! **


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